Meeting the Chaos
by ME4427
Summary: When Viola and Todd first meet from her POV and the rest of the book from her Rated K 'cos I didn't know what to rate
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N **This may just be a one-shot but I'm not sure yet._

_**Bold- **Noise_

_ME4427_

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**Meeting the Chaos**

**It's a girl**

That's all I can make out in his vast rush of words. There's too many and it's too thick to see deep enough in like a storm cloud. He's probably about my age maybe older but I can hear him thinking **almost a man **and** only one month**.

"It's a girl." He says, "It's a girl,"

I don't know who he is but I know he's dangerous. A knife is in his firm grasp and the words swirl around his head like they did with that other one who tried to kill me. Maybe he's here to finish it off. So be it, I've lost everything anyway and it's unlikely I'll stay alive much longer. His words are painfully loud giving me a throbbing headache.

Are these the settlers? Surely they must be but what the hell happened to them? What is this endless noise? I'm terrified as I stare at him. He's going to kill me, him and the dog, his words call Manchee. I try to make myself as small as possible as if that's going to stop them from seeing me. I'm scrunched into a tiny ball like a mistake on a piece of paper being crumpled up and thrown away. That's what I feel happened to me. The dog hops around all over the place and starts barking **what's girl?** over and over. Its words swirl around it like all the other creatures do. Can they hear my thoughts too?

I think they can. Almost as soon as I think about leaping back over the roots I'm huddled behind the image of it circles the boys head and the dog starts growling for me to **stay**.

"Good dog." He addresses him but not me.

I'm ok with that though; I don't want to talk. Right now, I feel hollow like there's nothing left in me at all. Even if I escape him and the holy man, what will I do then? Go find the other settlers? So far they don't seem too friendly. Or survive on my own for as long as I can? It won't be long. I look at him again and his eyes show (and thoughts) utter confusion like his whole world is crumbling. I can only pick out parts of his noise because although it's louder than the crazy, holy man's it's also gentler and bubblier. It says **Ben **and **Cillian **(whoever they are) with so much love and worry. It says **lies **and **journal **and **answers**. It says **girl **and **impossible**. Then it says owe-so-clearly** I am Todd Hewitt**. Todd? Todd.

"Who are you?" He breaks my thoughts. "What are you doing here? Where did you come from?"

I don't answer him though. I don't want to talk about what happened out there and why I'm _supposed_ to be here. I stay completely silent. My eyes move from the dog and to him. I glance to the knife then back at him. Is he going to hurt me with it?

His face shows nothing and all the words say is how I'm a **girl **and what I'm supposed to be. He builds up the perfect image of a typical girl: smiling, long hair, dresses. Then I sense and almost sadness and his noisiness goes a bit mopey. It's weird stuff. It's so loud!

His words start mentioning me and I feel weird having a boy think about me and how I look. Back on the ship, there was only one person my age in the caretakers' families and she was a she.

**Spackle? **The dog barks quietly to Todd. What's a spackle? His noise says the word a few times but I can't pick anything out of the rush.

"Would you effing well _shut up_?"

He starts thinking about them and I can see the picture of some alien creature forming in his mind. Is that a spackle? He associates the word with it. Long, gangly limbs, high mouths and weird eyes and ears. The image changes a bit as something close to clothes start growing on it. According to Bradley back on the ship, there aren't supposed to be ant native things here on New World. Next his thoughts are about me, about my shape, about my smell and it makes that blush creep up on my skin just a little. But I'm still scared 'cos his thoughts are a terrifying place! I can't help looking at him now, at his face, in his eyes, looking and looking. He catches me staring and we both just watch.

"Who are you?" His voice catches slightly at the end and his noise is screaming **sad**.

He seems to get a bit mad at my silence this time but I was always told if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all and _who I am_ and _why I'm here_ and _what's happened_ isn't particularly nice. "Who are you?" He repeats irritably.

He holds out his knife further towards me but I manage to control the urge to cower backwards. I know someone has to make a move whether it's speech or actions. It won't be me though.

He breaks. "Can you talk?"

I just look at him.

"Quiet," The dog barks.

"Shut it, Manchee," Todd says "I need to think."

I can see how lost he is and how he has no clue what to do here. Maybe I should trust him. There's something about him that's different to the other person I met, to anyone I've met. He's different. And I think it's in a good way but I'm not sure. I manage not to shake as much as before and my thoughts stop plotting my escape, for now. His words keep saying **Noise **and **Noise **and **Noise. **Is that what he calls it? Noise? I guess it's appropriate.

Todd's eyes lock with mine for a moment and his storm cloud clears slightly so I can make out some thoughts above the others in his _noise. _He just thinks **can you hear me? Can you? Can you hear me?** I know it annoys him but I remain silent.

"Okay," He steps back, "Okay. You just stay there, okay? You just stay right there?"

He keeps stepping back but his eyes never leave me. His rucksack drops to the ground with a thud making me jump but he still doesn't put down that goddam knife. A book is fished out of the bag while he commands Manchee to watch me carefully. The dog complies and stares at me hard before getting distracted and running into a bush. This is my chance. Should I take it? I mean he does have a knife but there's something about him…the angry words of his noise decide for me. He's dangerous; I go.

He's lost in the map and I slowly get up from the ground. It took a lot to get my limbs to move again but I goaded them forward, getting closer and closer. I scan the area for some sort of weapon quickly because who knows when the mutt will be back. I don't worry about Todd for he's entranced with the dusty leather, book. In a nearby bush I spot a large stick hidden away under tens of autumn leaves. I know the type from class on the ship when we'd learn about weather and seasons. Nature sure was a beautiful thing but I haven't had time to admire such trivial things.

Grabbing the stick I swing round quickly to check for the dog. Nope, not back. I sneak up on Todd and no matter how many branches crack loudly under my feet he is oblivious 'cos of the overpowering sound of his noise. I pause and think _am I really going to do this? _THUMP! I hit him on the side of the head so hard that he stumbles and starts to fall to the ground. He falls and falls but then out of nowhere his knife plunges into my skin and I yelp in pain!

I drop the stick. I fall on my butt. I am in so much pain. Trying my best not to show the pain, I curl up again and clutch the wound on my arm. The blood flowing from it is warm and sticky but the pain is excruciating. Never hit someone who's carrying a knife. That's what they _should_ teach at school!

"WHAT THE HELL D'YOU DO THAT FOR?" He shouts at me so I look at him creasing my forehead in pain.

**Stick Todd** Manchee says.

"And where the hell were you?" He says to him.

"Poo Todd."

Todd kicks dirt at him with a 'gah!' sound of frustration. He scrabbles back, and then starts sniffing at some bushes. The darkness seems to have crept up on us as it covers the already dark swamp. I try to think of other things besides the pain but I can't. It's bleeding so much and all my supplies are back on the ship which I'm never ever going back to. Ever. I can feel the worry in his noise but I don't know what he's worried for. His wound perhaps?

"Hey," He says more calmly than he has been talking.

I look up to him. My breathing still hard and his soon follows.

"I ain't gonna hurt you. You hear me? I ain't gonna hurt you. As long as you don't try and hit me with no more sticks, all right?"

I look into his eyes and they seem to mean it. But he has the knife. He seems to understand as he lowers the knife from his face and brings it down near the ground. He doesn't let go of it but it's an improvement. With his free hand he reaches into the rucksack and gets something out. When he holds it up to me I can make out that it's some sort of packet.

"Medipak." He says and seems to await a reaction. I give him none. "Me-di-pak." He points to the cut and says "Yer bleeding."

He sighs and stands up but I flinch away. He may say he won't hurt me but he just stabbed my arm. I scoot away from him on my butt because I don't want to move too much. He sighs in an angry way. "I ain't gonna hurt you." He holds up the _medipak _again. "It's medicine. It'll stop the bleeding." I don't believe he'd help me.

"Look." He says and I do. He snaps open the medipak and tears away a paper cover with his teeth. He rubs the pad over his eye and eyebrow before pulling it back and showing it to me. "See?" He points to his eye, "See? It stops things bleeding."

He steps forward. I flinch but not as much. He takes another, then another, then another, and then he's next to me. I can't help look at the knife still in his hand.

"I ain't putting it down so just forget it." He pushes the pad towards my arm and speaking more softly this time says, "Even if it's deep, this stitches it up, okay? And I can fix it, all right? Just don't get any ideas about any more ruddy sticks." I watch him and his noise notices. Why's he helping me? I hit him with a stick and he's helping me. I'm still breathing heavy and I'm still watching. I turn my arm towards him so he can help and it's funny 'cos I don't want to flinch away or run from him. I should but I don't.

**Todd?**

"Shush." He says gently and I relax a little under his soft touch. He presses the pad on my arm and wipes the cut until it stops bleeding but it takes a while because the cut is deep.

"Ya gotta be careful." He whispers in that farm-boy accent of his. "That ain't a permanent heal. You gotta be careful with it till yer body heals the rest, okay?"

All I do is look.

**Todd? Todd?**

"And no more sticks, all right? No more hitting me."

**Todd?** Manchee says again.

"And obviously my name's Todd."

A small smile starts to form on my lips in the fading light but I don't think he sees. Perhaps, I was wrong about him 'cos he seems far from dangerous now.

"Can you…" He looks deep in my eyes and somehow it feels right. "Can you understand me?" I want to scream _'YES!'_ but I can't.

**Todd, **Manchee's bark picks up a bit causing Todd to notice.

"What?" Snaps Todd.

**Todd! _TODD!_**

Someone is pounding through the bushes, breaking branches and that angry familiar noise I've heard before.

"Get up!" He says to me but I'm frozen. "Get up now!"

He roughly grabs my arm and tries to haul me up but it's too late 'cos he's here. Todd's noise says **Aaron** but I know who it is. He's coming. I knew he'd come back for me. There's yelling and roaring but all we can do is stare as the figure emerges. Maybe I'm not the only one who fears the holy man because Todd's as scared as I am. At least we're together though.

I'm no longer alone.

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_**A/N **Hoped you liked it. I may continue; I may not. Who knows? I also have another Chaos Walking Story so go check that out..._

_Review, PM me, Follow, Favourite please!_

_ME4427_


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N **Ok so thanks to **Guest **I am continuing with this. Thanks to **Guest **and **Won'tforgetcanregret** for reviewing!_

**_Guest -_**_ I know how it feels! No one seems to like the same stuff as me and I love to find out what other people think of them too. I'm glad you liked the chapter and this one was added especially for you! Ps. What do you think of the cover? I painted it myself!_

**_Won'tforgetcanregret - _**_Thanks I'm glad you liked it. I was worried that I wasn't really getting Viola quite right!_

_Anyway, here's a new chapter for you all!_

_ME4427_

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**Chapter 2**

One, two, three, he's on us.

And I run. I run because I'm a coward. It wasn't my job to do this; I'm meant to judge this area for the scout ship. Well, it wasn't just my job, it was-

I cut that thought off.

For some bizarre reason, I feel bad, guilty almost. I contemplate turning back to them, to the strange farm boy and his dog. But then I think clearly. How could I possibly be so stupid as to go back to that holy man? And for what, some people I don't even know. But there's something about him, I can feel it.

He's angry like a storm (or so I've heard) but then he goes calm.

He's fearsome like a small animal (or so I've heard) but then he's brave.

He's lonely like a lost child (as I would know) but then he has the dog.

He's loud and my quiet draws him in.

But what do I know of this world? I've never really lived on a planet. So these are my assumptions, what I've learnt in class from Bradley when I still had my-

I cut that thought off too.

The picture of that bloody man encircles my thoughts. His face torn apart, gashes dripping from his skin. An ear gone, a strip of flesh too. Bulging eyes, animal teeth scattered and blood splattered. Yet he was still going, a man who should be dead and he's running around wielding fury at that boy. Such a miracle must be that of some sort of God but why bring that man back? He's mad.

I can hear their yelling and their murderous noise echo through the woods around us. But something I hear almost gets me to stop, almost. The sound of that _Aaron_ man crying out in pain. Did Todd truly do it? A rush of something close to joy surges through me but I cut off for I don't want to feel anymore. Emotions are too surreal. Then I hear the words that send chills down my spine…

**The sign**

I quicken my pace.

My feet aren't experienced with this _ground_ they speak of. I've only ever lived on spaceships not real proper mud and plants. Rustle and snap goes the ground beneath me and I know they heard it too. They know I've run away and no doubt they're coming back now. The question is, who would I rather found me? The angry young boy with a knife or the wounded unarmed holy man? Oddly enough, I choose Todd. The thing is though, I won't get a choice. And he has his own agenda anyway! He'd trade me in any day for those men he speaks of, **Ben **and **Cillian. **

Then I hear something behind me and I scream with terror because it's him, it's Aaron. He's going to kill me, isn't he? This is it. And in my head I think maybe that's ok after all. The boy with the dog gets his family and life back, this man gets his sacrifice and I can join my parents in death. And in my head I believe this; in my heart I know I'm lying. I am lying because I scream and if I wanted to die then I wouldn't have done that.

**THE PATH OF A SAINT!**

He tears through the bushes. My only escape is water. So that's where I go even though I can't swim. I know what swimming is, but I've never once done it. How can I? There isn't any lakes or rivers on a ship. Then he follows me in and of course he can swim! But it's ok, this bits only ankle deep.

I scream when he pushes me to a tree and I hit it so roughly that my head burns in agony. My vision becomes blurry but it doesn't stop me seeing him and that scarred face will scar my memory forever.

**THE HOLY SACRAMENT!**

I scream when he hits me. I scream and scream. Even when I try to fight him, I'm screaming and I'm so terrified. He twists my wrists in his grasp and I still fight. But what's the use? I muster up all my fear and anger and pain and I fight. I hit him. I kick him. I'm scared.

**THE SIGN FROM GOD!**

His noise is ablaze and it's pictures now. There's me in a church, eating the bread, drinking the wine. There's me as an angel, a sacrifice.

In one fist he carries both my wrists. In one movement he has his belt cord off. In one blink of the eye he has my hands tied together. So I kick him hard but he slaps me back. Over the noise I hear a faint whisper but I don't pay it attention. Then when I think he's going to take me away and make that fantasy something of truth, he just turns. He turns away as if he's forgotten that I'm there. He sees something. A distraction.

I don't run, I could, but I don't. I have a chance but it's too late. I'm beaten and I'm tired of running.

"Yer noise reveals you, young Todd." He says. Todd came! It probably wasn't for me though.

Aaron lets me go and steps forward. "The mayor will be disappointed to hear about your untimely departure from the earthly plain, boy." He steps forward again.

"But God has no use for a coward, does he boy?" Aaron taunts him.

The Aaron hits him and I wince.

Then he hits him again.

And again.

Then again.

Again.

Again.

And again.

Until he falls. And Todd hits him again, and again and again. I don't wince this time. He stays in the water looking up at us, smiling but not moving. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.

**Todd? Todd? Todd? **Barks the dog.

But I don't pay them attention. I scramble until I find the knife he dropped and just as I do, they look up at me. The dog growls at me and he is frozen. Perhaps they think I'm to do them harm with it. Then they catch on and Todd cuts the cord for me. It drops to the ground and I rub my wrists.

I look at the knife and Aaron lying there, not moving but still breathing. He didn't do it. He could have killed him but he didn't. I'm not sure whether that makes him safer or more dangerous with that knife. He seems to get what I'm telling him to do, _kill him now._ When he rises above Aaron I hold my breath because I actually think he'll do it.

He raises it.

But he lowers it again.

He can't do it.

And that's ok.

I couldn't either.

"Come on, we have to get outta here."

So we leave, the three of us. I don't know them, they don't know me but it feels right. It feels like finally.

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_**A/N **So leave a review and tell me what you all thought!_

_ME4427_


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N **Sorry it's a bit short but here is the next chapter! Thanks everyone who's reviewed and followed the story! It means a lot to me!_

_I hope you like it! :D_

_ME4427_

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Chapter 3

I hesitate for a minute but when he says

"Come on" again but more urgently this time, I follow.

I follow him; I follow Manchee.

And that's just how it is.

And it just feels right so none of us question it.

Night is upon us by this point and the crisp air makes me shiver just a little, but I try not to let it show. Quickly, we rush back to retrieve his rucksack and then we're on our way through the safety of darkness that's swallowed up the whole swamp and us with it. We seep deeper into the swamp as we climb over roots and round trees.

After a short walk, we reach a small clearing with a break in the trees and flat land spread out like a blanket. I imagine it'd be close to beautiful in the daylight but I must admit that it's ominous in this lack of light. I can picture a thousand horrid creatures that could just pop right out of the surrounding land yet I suppose none could be worse than the things I've seen. This is where he stops us though and I still don't feel far enough away to be safe.

Have I been here before?

Trying to ignore his noise is difficult but I still try as it's giving me a bad headache. How can these people stand it?! I keep catching flashes of things he's thinking and I have to say that some of it scares me just a little. Like **Knife **and **Coward **and **Still Holding **and **Shining Blade **and **Powerful. **It's terrifying how great a thing he thinks that killer in his hands really is. It's ironic really that he holds that murdering weapon in his hands yet he appears to be unable to afflict pain on others easily.

Then he says how **Shiny the two moons are on its surface. **How poetic? I can't help but look then, now can I? When my eyes catch those shining objects in the sky, I do find it exceptionally amazing. Living on the scout ship kind of meant I'd never experienced things that normal kids do like nature. I'd never seen a sky, or trees, or grass, or a swamp and I thought each to be stunning in their own way. I found this whole world to be, the only down side being the unfriendly settlers.

"Do you know how to use one of these?" He asks me which causes me to break from my thoughts. He holds up a flash light, flicks it on and off, and waves it about, then sighs when I stare at him. I think he thinks that I don't understand the question but to be honest I just don't feel like talking just yet. "Never mind." He says.

I'm sure this place is familiar.

I watch him carefully as he explores that map in that book again. I still don't really understand what he's doing and yet I can hear each one of his thoughts. Honestly, it's just hard to filter all the information. Eventually, he looks up at me and catches me staring, but I still don't blink. That is until he chooses to shine the torch in my eyes causing me to wince and glance away.

"Where'd you come from? Is it here?" He points to a place on the map and I don't even have to look to know that it won't be where I came from. He tries to get me to come over to him but I won't budge. Sigh, then he joins me and points at the map as if I'm merely a child in his eyes. He shows me where he is from, where we are, where we need to go (for whatever reason) and then asks where I'm from. I still say no words in fear that I'll cry.

He begins talking again but his words are numb to me because I recognise this place, don't I? I wander in a circle, examining the area. Unfortunately I am right. I gesture to the torch then to the trees. He starts saying that we don't have time but I pay no attention whatsoever. I walk through the trees and he's still shouting but I'm on autopilot now. The further I go, the more numb I become; the more numb I become, the further I go.

I stop when I reach that tree.

I look to the left and I know what's there. I shouldn't go to them but I do because that's what must be done. To survive we must make sacrifices. The darkness draws me in so I drown myself within it. The blackness reminds me of the emotionless shell I am now and I find it soothing. What unnerves me is the knowledge of where I'm going.

"Hold up!" This time I hear him so I do. He seems shocked by this and responds with "So you can understand me, then?" As ever, I reply with nothingness. "Well, hold up for a sec." So I do but eventually the ship draws me to it again. I carefully dodge the fallen, burnt log and I try not to think how it got like that. Deep down I know. It's crumpled and burnt in most places and the emotions tug right on where my heart once was. He starts to get it though. I can feel his noise sadden a touch and if it were a colour, it'd be blue.

If I had noise it'd be the bluest of blues.

Looming over their charred and crumpled bodies just makes me more numb. I stand and watch them lying there and I try not to think about anything, not the good memories, especially not the bad ones. I wish it'd been me not them. And the look on my mother's face as she heard my father cry out in distress. And her face when she was crushed and chewed up by the impact. And her face when I said goodbye and when she did goodbye. Tears well up but I hold them back. Feeling nothing is surviving everything.

I hear and feel the boy come up behind me. He knows who they are. He knows.

"That's yer ma and pa, ain't it?" He asks so very softly.

My voice would break if I gave a reply. My eyes would well up if I looked at him. So I didn't.

I hear his noise say **When luck ain't with you, it's against you **and I couldn't agree more.

Once I feel in control, I look to Todd and then walk straight past him and back to the ship for more supplies. I can still see them in my mind though, just lying there.

He really was right, wasn't he.

When luck ain't with you, it's against you.

And I have no luck with me at all.

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_**A/N **In case you're wondering, that is a line Todd uses in this chapter of 'The Knife of Never Letting Go'. I hope you like my Viola perspective..._

_Review, follow, favourite and PM_

_Thanks,_

_ME4427_


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N **Hi everyone! Thanks to all the people out there who've reviewed and followed the story! It means a lot to me._

_I hope you enjoy this new chappie here!_

_ME4427_

* * *

I collect what I need to from the ship. Then I get out of there as quickly as I can. I figure that I'll probably never ever see that place ever again, and frankly I think that's perfectly okay. With me, I have a bag and a few other supplies. I made sure to pack that lovely present I got from Bradley for my birthday. He said it'd come in handy for when I got here so I suppose, I'm putting the device to some use. It's a shame; he never got to see me open it as I had my birthday in the scout ship while he stayed on the main ship. Shame.

"HEY! We can't be hanging around-"Todd shouts.

His urgent voice made me hurry up but I interrupt him when I pop out of the entrance to the ship. I hadn't realised how close his shout was, until he has to jump back when I appear. I wait for him to move from my path before I walk straight past him.

I make for a dry piece of land then set my things down. With my supplies on the floor, I lay the green box down safely. I then make to collect some sticks and pile them carefully on top. Honestly, I've never done this before. I was taught in class, survival was an important feature in our lessons. It should be easy enough though. I try to act as confident with it as possible. Perhaps he'll think I've done this a thousand times.

"How'd you live thru that?" He asks. I don't reply. He must see what I'm doing as he then says "There ain't time to make a-"

I cut off his thoughts as I press the button on the side of the box, causing the fire to light up. We were told, on the ship, that these people have very simple ways of life but I didn't realise that they made their fires by hand! That must be difficult. I suppose I've not given these original settlers enough credit.

Turning around to look at him makes me realise this. His mouth is wide open in shock but when he sees me, he quickly recomposes himself. It surprises me a little that he's not straight over here with me by this fire, after all he's soaking wet. His noise agrees with me as it says **Cold **and **Wet **and **Blessing.**

"Only for a second."

I rub my arms as he comes and sits, warming his hands. He doesn't follow suit and put his rucksack down with my own. I decide he could probably use some food, as could I, so I rip one of my food packs open and throw it to him. Another one is in my hands pretty quickly and I dig in to my fruit. It takes a few seconds of watching me until he realises what it is.

"Todd?" Says Manchee, begging for some food.

"Oh sorry" He's already finished his pack.

Since I'm the only one with food, I reach into my own pack, get a small handful and hold it out to his dog. As he approaches me, I get a bit nervous causing me to drop the fruit on the ground. Manchee doesn't seem to mind at all though. He gobbles the stuff right up.

I can't help but wonder how long they're going to keep me around. If I didn't have all these neat little supplies of mine, I don't think it'd be too long. I have nowhere to go either; what would I do without a destination? Cause that's what they give me isn't it? They give me a destination and a destination is hope itself. I suppose before they came along, I didn't have much of that stuff left in me. It all kind of drained out when I lost my parents.

The darkness consumes us and our only light is in our own little circle around this fire. I stare into it and I don't know why, but somehow just the very essence of the flames ignites my brain with pain. My mind drifts to the warmth of my parents, and the cold shoulder they received in return. I was unfair to them and if I could take it back, then I would in a heartbeat.

I hope they know I love them.

Todd's words break me from the emptiness.

"We can't stay. I'm sorry about yer folks and all, but there's others that'll be after us. Even if Aaron's dead."

The very mention of his name makes me flinch.

Just a little.

"I'm sorry." He says but his noise tells me he doesn't mean it at all. I can sense he would be though if he knew what to apologise for. "Thanks for the grub but we gotta go." He looks at me, "If yer coming with?"

My response, as ever, is not verbal. The tip of my boot is used to knock the sticks off the fire, and then I press the button again and pick it up. Into my bag it goes, and over my head goes the bag.

"Well, I guess we're ready then."

Neither of us makes a move.

And just for a second, maybe less than that, I look back to where my family lies. It's sick, but I don't feel a thing. I don't let myself _feel_. And that's the last time I'll see them. Oh if they could see me now…

In my rucksack, I struggle to find my flashlight. After a lot of rummaging, I finally locate the device and I can see, in his thoughts, that Todd is shocked. I try to ignore that bundle of thoughts floating around his large head, as it makes me feel uncomfortable knowing all that about him. He doesn't even know my name and I know his deepest secrets.

I don't like New World.

"Oi!"

I turn back to him from where I've walked to.

"Not that way." He points left. "That way."

He doesn't wait for me before moving on, but he does check that I am indeed following him and the dog. So we just head out towards the two mountains, with the two moons lighting our way and I have to admit, despite the circumstances, it really is beautiful.

He starts discussing matters with that dog of his, but I drone the two out as I scope my surroundings for useful information. Todd shines his flashlight in front of us so we can avoid tripping over too many roots and standing in too much mud. We walk pretty quickly but we don't run.

I keep up. I don't get too close. I don't fall behind. I keep up.

His thoughts hurt me with their bubbling. This time it's not the loudness of it all but more like the actual thoughts themselves. All of them revolve around **death **and **burial **and those two men he keeps picturing: **Ben **and **Cillian.**

Hours and hours we spend just walking, and who says it's even the right way. His map, that's who. The creachers that lurk here during the night secretly terrify me with their abrupt and brutal thoughts. A lot of them seemingly come from nowhere and it's unnerving. I don't let on. I stay silent.

Suddenly, I'm pulled from my thoughts with the stickiness of mud enveloping my shoe in a tight not-so-friendly hug. I have to stop to sort out the situation and I'm surprised to find that Todd stopped for me. I didn't expect him to. It's nothing but it is. He didn't have to; he did.

On our travels we're handed food by Todd since I suppose it's his turn. It doesn't take long before we all have to stop with exhaustion since none of us have slept recently. I drop my bag silently by a tree and it becomes my new pillow as I collapse on the floor for sleep. Todd follows suit. I pull out a blanket from my bag and Todd's constant reminders of "five minutes" really mean nothing to me.

When I wake up, I'm met with the face of a large bird towering over me thinking about **food. **It receives a slight gasp from me before it's swatted away by Todd.

"Don't worry, they're friendly!" He calls to me but my mind tells me differently.

It's a hideous thing that is. It's got a long bendy neck and towers about three metres above me which kind of frightens me. Its appearance is grotesque with feathers that look more like fur than anything else and long gangly legs with the sharpest claws I could imagine built on the end.

It tries to peck Manchee and the two end up chasing each other round causing rounds of laughter from Todd and a small chuckle from me. Todd notices me laughing and smiling so I stop.

Then it starts going through his food which really annoys him. In the end, the bird was given a block of cheese which it then coughed up on Todd's face leaving a trail of slime on him. When he wipes it off, I can't help but smile again at the hysterical sight before me.

"Think that's funny, do ya?"

_Yes_, I want to say but I don't. I try to pretend not to be smiling but it doesn't work to my advantage. Failing that pretence, I decide to pick up my bag and look ready to go. This seems to remind him how we slept longer than was intended. He resumes his leader voice.

"Yeah, we slept way too long. We gotta go."

After much more walking, we finally meet a clearing where we have breakfast on me: dried fruit. We don't even relax while eating though; we eat standing. The ground here is a bit drier than previously. The clearing is like a large field standing atop the tree tops which I suppose gives reason for why we've stopped here of all places.

"That's where we're going." He points forwards to some destination in the mountains. "Or where I think we're sposed to go anyway."

I guess it's not very promising that the person who has seemingly taken command, doesn't _definitely_ know where we're supposed to head, but I have nowhere better to go, now do I?

Then I have a genius idea! I set down my fruit and go searching in my bag once again. Jackpot. I find my little binoculars and have a quick look through them before passing them on to Todd. He looks for a bit with the expression of amazement written all over his face, then he hands them back to me.

"Those're sweet."

Back in my bag they go. We continue eating for a moment.

His noise goes off on a little tangent and I try to pay it no attention but I can't help hear him.

**Silence **and **No noise **and **Is it wonderful? **and **Is it terrible?**

**Would it be like you were alone? How would you share it? Would you want to? Is that how it's sposed to be?**

He finishes his fruit, as do I, so I hold out my hand to receive his now crumpled up piece of packaging, then I place all of our rubbish back in the bag.

**Was this what it was like for my ma and pa when they first landed? Was New World a silent place all over before-?**

And he stops. And I stop.

He looks at me and I just stare timidly back.

Then he starts rambling in his noise and oh God, do I wish I couldn't hear him.

**She's landed here and hasn't caught the Noise germ yet. It's going to do what it did to all the other women.**

**It's gonna kill her.**

**It's gonna kill her.**

It's going to kill me.

* * *

_**A/N **Don't worry those lovely buttons at the bottom there don't bite!_

_Thanks again for reading!_

_ME4427_


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